UMass alumnus tells his inauguration story

University of Massachusetts alumnus and media mogul Fred Obeng-Ampofo braved the cold weather and massive crowds Tuesday, Jan. 20 to see the inauguration of President Barack H. Obama.

Courtesy FreDySignal.com"This is a picture of me at the 56th Presidential Inauguration in Washington DC, January 20, 2009."

He told me it was meant to be.
"I woke up at about 11 am on Sunday, January 18. At 12:30 pm, something just told me, 'Fred, you have to go to DC.' No second thoughts," he told me yesterday.

I met Fred through my work at UVC-TV 19, where he produced an independent news/talk show, FreDySignal. He's the type of guy who won't pass up a good story, even if he's in the middle of it, like the time he was in a car accident on Interstate-90 and recorded some footage that ended up on CNN.

So it's no surprise that he left his home in Worcester, Mass. at 5:38 p.m. to get there in time for the inauguration. He was there by 2:32 a.m. the next day.

Fred made the trek for one reason: to document the occasion.
"I went to the inauguration, first and foremost to interview people about how they felt to be there, why they made the trip there, and what they will remember most about the day," he said. "One of the people I interviewed, a French Canadian, had spent 30 years in Africa and said he came here just to see the crowd and to meet people like me."

FreDySignal.com"Why would you come all the way from Quebec to DC? You could have watched it on TV," I asked. His response, "You are one of the reasons why I came."

Fred said he dealt with the cold weather, the overwhelming crowds and a Metro train packed like the dining commons on lobster night just to "be under the same clouds" as Obama.

Was it worth it?

"Absolutely; I am convinced I was supposed to be there and I was there."

Check back for Fred's video documentation of his travels as soon he gets the footage edited, and check out dailycollegian.com's coverage of inauguration festivities in the Valley a few posts back, and the upcoming recap in Monday's back to school edition in print and online. UMass alumna Daryl Popper also has some beautiful photographs from the event over at her blog.